Police Told Crown Victoria No More after 2011

[TMN]

Dearborn -- In June, Ford Motor Co. invited the heads of some of the nation's largest police fleets to Dearborn to talk about the future of police cars.

For nearly two decades, that market has belonged to Ford's Crown Victoria -- a vehicle that departments from coast to coast have come to respect for its toughness and reliability. Now the Crown Vic is running out of road.

"They told us that 2011 would be the last year they build the Crown Vic," said Larry Tagawa, commander of the Los Angeles Police Department's Motor Transport Division. "But Ford also made a commitment to support departments with a new vehicle."

Then Ford took the assembled police brass out to its test track and handed them the keys to its new Taurus.

Most motorists would be happy to trade in their old Crown Vic for Ford's latest flagship sedan. It is faster, safer and gets better mileage. But the Taurus, like most modern cars, lacks some of the features that have made the Crown Vic so popular with police.

That is one reason why Ford has yet to make a final decision on the Crown Vic's successor. But there are others: new competition -- not only from Ford's cross-town rivals, but also from a new start-up that promises to give police the vehicle of their dreams -- and the Canadian Auto Workers, which is keen to protect thousands of jobs at the plant in St. Thomas, Ontario, where the Crown Vic is produced.

Full Story: Ford to cops: Crown Vic is out | detnews.com | The Detroit News

[chiefstang]

It'll be a sad day for our old war wagon, but change is needed. I don't really want to see the Taurus, however. Every time I see a C/V I cringe (I might break some traffic regulations from time to time...). I don't want to cringe when I see a Taurus... Not again, anyways.

The new Taurus is on my lot, and the car is amazing. Having a reflexive increase in heart rate is good when it's for the right reasons: desire, lust, longing, admiration. All good. Fear, dread, regret? All hallmarks of seeing a C/V in the mirror, and all bad.

I think a fleet only purpose built redesign on an already ideal setup would be great. Drop an Eco Boost 3.5 in it, pair it up with a six speed for EPA numbers, and take it even further with engineering that may not suit a Grand Marquis, but is perfect for a cruiser. Specific dashboard layout, suspension packages, and safety equipment. Stuff that may not have been practical on mass produced cars, but would make our boys in blue drool.

The platform is already there, and apparently it suits their needs. It could be tweaked fairly inexpensively, and if they can sell 75,000 a year, why not? The C/V platform is basically free now, having paid for itself many times over.

It would be great to have the AWD available, and I'm sure you could beef up the suspension to take more abuse, but you can't beat body on frame for pulling off a "pit" maneuver on a Chevy Suburban.

Is the Panther platform too dated for retail sales? Absolutely.

Could it be tweaked to remain the most ideal police cruiser? Hmmmm...